The present invention relates to a hand-operated device for cleaning the bottom and surface of pools, spas, ponds, aquariums, and the like of submerged or floating debris such as leaves, twigs, pebbles, loose dirt, silt and sand or dropped items such as paper, buttons, and so on.
Vacuum and filtration apparatus for cleaning swimming pools and the like tends to be complex, bulky and relatively expensive to operate. It is not particularly efficient or convenient for removing loose relatively heavy debris from the surface or bottom of pools, or for cleaning small pools such as spas or ponds.
Hand operated water cleaning devices have been used in the past for cleaning small volumes of water such as those found in tanks or cisterns. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,101,541 of Harrington, where a hand operated piston is slidable in a tube to draw water and debris in through a one-way valve in the lower end of the tube, and to expel debris and water through an opening in the upper end of the tube.
A similar device for cleaning swimming pools is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,031 of Cellini, where a hand operated vacuum inducing device draws water and debris in through the lower end of a tube. Debris is trapped in the lower end of the tube by a one-way valve which has openings to allow water to drain out of the tube. Debris is removed by taking the tube out of the water and releasing a sliding door in the bottom of the tube. Thus the device is fairly slow to operate and must be repeatedly removed from the water to return water to the pool and remove debris from the tube.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,182 of Vockroth a hand operated vacuum cleaning device for pools is described in which a piston is slidable in a barrel. A one-way valve traps debris in the liner, while water is drawn up the tube during the upstroke of a piston through a second one-way valve. In the downstroke of the piston water trapped above the second valve is forced through a one-way valve in the piston into an upper chamber in the barrel. In the subsequent upstroke water in the upper chamber is ejected through an opening in the chamber. Thus debris is removed by reciprocating the pump while moving the tube across the bottom of the pool. This device is relatively complex, since three one-way or check valves are involved, and water is therefore expelled in a three stage process. The device will become ineffective when the sieve or liner is clogged with debris so that suction is limited. Thus the device must be taken apart at periodic intervals to clean the liner; and it will be difficult to tell exactly when the water liner needs cleaning. Since water is ejected repeatedly through an opening in the upper part of the barrel, the water surface will be continuously disturbed by splashing and/or turbulence. This will make it difficult for the user to see the bottom of the pool, both to judge whether or not the device is still operating effectively and to see debris to be removed.
Thus in all of the known hand operated vacuum devices there are problems in effectively removing debris from volumes of water. In the Harrington and Cellini devices the tubes must be repeatedly removed from the water to expel debris and water trapped in the tube. In the Vockroth device it will be difficult to judge when the strainer needs cleaning and the disturbance of the water surface will significantly reduce visibility so that the user may not be able to see debris remaining in the pool.